Love Means No Boundaries - Andrew Grey

Joey downstairs, and he looks worse than you, if that’s possible.”
    “He deserves more.”
“More than….” Arie paused. “You didn’t? Jesus, Robbie, for a guy who can’t see, you sure are blind.” Arie began to laugh. “That came out wrong.” “Ya think!”
    “What I meant was that… look, I thought I was in love with you and gave Joey a lot of grief because I thought he was taking you away. But I realized I wasn’t in love with you as much as I loved you and wanted to protect and take care of you.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah, so!” He wanted to feel better, not get a lecture.
“So Joey loves you like he’s in love with you. He doesn’t want you to take care of you or protect you, or whatever you think he wants. Joey loves you for you—for who you are. Yes, Joey knows you’re blind, but he loves you and sees you for you.”
     
“How do you know this?” Robbie could feel his resolve crumble.
    Robbie heard Arie snicker. “I can tell by the way he looks at you.” Arie dodged as Robbie tried to slap him and missed. “I’m serious. Whatever reason you concocted in that beautiful mind of yours, you need to make sure it’s a good one, because you’re about to make both of you miserable.” He heard Arie walk toward the door.
    179
Andrew Grey
“Are you telling me I should go?” Robbie was getting more and more confused by the second.
    The footsteps stopped. “I’m saying that you need to truly decide what you want. Not what you think I want or your mother wants, or what’s best for Joey. He’s told you what he wants because he asked you to go with him.” The floor creaked softly beneath Arie’s weight as he heard the door open. “We’ll be waiting for you downstairs.” Robbie heard the door close forcefully.
    Robbie sat on the edge of the bed holding his head. He’d spent much of the night trying to figure out what he should do, and now he was more confused than ever. He’d hurt Joey, and he was miserable at the thought of not being with him. He thought he’d done the right thing, but now…. His head throbbed, and his heart hurt, that was all he knew for sure.
    180
    Love Means … NO O Boundaries
HE HEARD the
e an
a nouncem
e en
e t ca
c l
a ling
g his fl
f igh
g t and go
g t up fr
f o
r m his
sea
e t
a , han
a ding
g the ga
g t
a e
e atten
e dan
a t his boar a d
r ing
g pass bef e o
f re
r wa
w l
a king
down
w the
e jet
e way.
y A
A few
e
w minutes e lat
a er
e ,
r his bags g wer
e e
r stowe
w d, and he wa
w s
a sea
e t
a ed
e . Peo
e ple
e moved
e ar
a o
r und him, but Joey e ’
y s though
g ts we
w re
r
miles
e aw
a a
w y.
y Sayi
y ng
g go
g odbye
y
e to Robbie
e on the
e fr
f ont porc
r h
c , ben
e ea
e t
a h
those
e gr
g an
a d co
c lumns, wa
w s the
e har
a d
r es
e t thing
g he’
e d
’ ever
e
r had
a to do.
Th
T e
e fl
f igh
g t at
a ten
e dan
a ts mad
a e
e thei
e r an
a nounce
c m
e en
e ts, an
a d he felt
the
e plan
a e
e begi
g n to move aw a a
w y
y fro
r m the
e ga
g t
a e
e an
a d mak
a e
e its wa
w y
y out
towa
w r
a d
r the
e ru
r nway.
y More
e an
a nouncem e en
e ts an
a d then they y sped
e up an
a d
lift
f ed
e into the
e ai
a r.
r Hi
H s stom
o ac
a h
c wa
w s
a tied
e in knots,
, an
a d he
e did his
s bes
e t
t
to ca
c l
a m himsel e f.
f He
H
e wa
w s go
g ing home. e Ba
B ck
c to Ge
G o
e ff
f and Eli, his fa
f m
a ily,
y an
a d bac
a k
c to the
e fa
f rm
r an
a d an
a imal
a s that
a he
e loved
e so much c .
As
A the
e plan
a e
e lev
e el
e ed
e off
f , the
e lac
a k
c of
f slee
e p
e over
e the
e las
a t fe
f w
e
w
days
y ca
c u
a ght up wi w th him, an a d he cl
c osed
e his eye
y s, tryi
y ng
g to kee
e p
e
himsel
e f
f ca
c l
a m, an
a d someh e ow,
w mira
r c
a u
c lously,
y he
e set
e tled
e into a nervous sleep.
He
H
e aw
a o
w ke
e to the
e plan
a e
e shak
a ing
g an
a d jumping,
g the pilot mak a ing
g
an
a an
a nouncem
e en
e t that
a ever
e yo
y ne
e was
a to fas
a ten
e thei
e r
r sea
e t
a bel
e ts. Rai
a n
181
8
Andrew Grey
    pelted the now dark windows as Joey felt the plane descend. He let out a small sigh of relief as the wheels touched the ground after the rough approach. His flight schedule had him routed through Cleveland, and as he exited the aircraft, the airport departure screens were flashing “delayed” on almost every flight.
    Hours passed and still most flights were delayed. Heavy storms were keeping almost everything grounded. The delays turned to cancellations, and Joey was stuck. The airline